Stepping Through The Darkness
by Danielle8
Summary: The darkness can be a scary place.
1. Dark Corridors

Title: Stepping Through The Darkness part 1/?  
Author: Danielle (babyflirt5785@hotmail.com)  
Rating: This part is PG for minor language  
Feedback: Please I need it. It determines how much more I write.  
Summary: The darkness can be frightening.  
Thanks: To my beta readers, Naaz, and MenaryJ!  
Archive: Go ahead just tell me where.  
Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own Star Trek: Voyager, or any of it's characters. No copyright infringment is intended and I am not making any money off of this story.  
  
Footsteps pounded in the darkened corridor behind her. The darkness enfolded everything around with a relentless blanket. 'Why is this happening?' Kathryn thought as she continued to run into the dark never-ending corridor, but the closer she got to help, the closer her pursuer seemed to get. 'I won't let this happen,' she told herself, 'not to me. I've just got to get a little further.' She searched for a way out of the darkness, for a way to find help.   
Then she spotted it. A doorway, but it wasn't like the doorways she was used to seeing on Voyager. It was made out of wood, not metal. 'Whatever is in there must be better than what's out here,' she told herself, and placed her hand on the knob. She started to turn as the sounds of footsteps got louder and seemed to speed up.  
Kathryn froze and listened to the quickening steps. 'Hurry Kathryn, hurry!' She told herself. She placed her focus back on the door, but found that the knob wouldn't turn. "It's locked!" she said out loud. "Damn it!"   
The footsteps were getting louder now, but the pace was getting slower. "A key," Kathryn said, "There's got to be a key." She reached into her pocket and, sure enough, she found a key. She pulled it out of her pocket and fumbled with it before placing it in the keyhole. She turned the key fast and hard, and then twisted the knob. "No! Open damn it!" her mind was screaming now as she tried to open the door. It was stuck. The footsteps were only a few meters away now. She pushed against the door with all her strength and the door opened. Kathryn flew through the opening and ran into the room which was lit all around with old lamp fixtures, and looked for a way to escape.   
There was none. Not even a place to hide. She turned around to reverse her course and go back out into the corridor. She headed out the door and once again headed down the long and dark tunnel. She ran at full speed this time, her heart pounding in her chest. She paused for a brief second to listen for the footsteps that she knew were somewhere in the darkness with her, but she heard nothing. No fast steps or slow steps. Just silence.  
"Maybe I got away." she thought. She decided to continue down the dark hallways and started to jog when she felt a hand grab her shoulder...  
  
  
  



	2. The Marivians

Title: Stepping Through The Darkness part 2/?  
Author: Danielle (babyflirt5785@hotmail.com)  
Rating: This part is PG for minor language  
Feedback: Please I need it. It determines how much more I write.  
Summary: Voyager has an encounter with the Marivians.  
Archive: Go ahead just tell me where  
Thanks: To my beta readers, Naaz, and MenaryJ!  
Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own Star Trek: Voyager, or any of it's characters. No copyright infringment is intended and I am not making any money off of this story. However, Captain Marks is mine...he he he...all mine..  
  
  
*The time is 0600 hours, the time is 0600 hours* the computer beeped.  
"Computer, shut of alarm and set for 0530 hours tomorrow morning" said a shaken Captain Janeway. That dream had felt so real. "It seemed like deja-vu." thought Kathryn who was getting out of bed and was heading for the bathroom. The morning was new and she already had this gut feeling that today would not be a boring day.  
Captain Janeway felt a little less shaken after the sonic shower she just had. She got dressed in her uniform and proceeded to get ready for her shift which started in a half an hour. She ran her brush through her auburn hair as she thought about the dream that she had just had. "That was a very unusual dream," she said to her reflection in the mirror, "Why was I running?" She decided to just leave it be for now and she continued to get ready for her shift.  
Exiting her quarters, Janeway headed down the corridor towards the turbolift. "I wonder what we will get to go through today?" Janeway asked herself as she continued down the halls, "I hope that nothing goes..." Janeway's train of thought was lost as a young Ensign who was obviously in a hurry to get somewhere turned a corner and ran into her.  
"Captain," the Ensign stated as he quickly regained his composure and moved into an attention stance, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you."  
"It's quite all right Ensign," Janeway stated giving the Ensign a forgiving look, "Why are you in such a hurry?"  
"I am late for my duty shift Captain." The Ensign said staring straight forward.  
Kathryn couldn't help but laugh inside as the Ensign's face had a fearful expression etching it's way forward. A smile crept on to her face as she watched the person in front of her prepare for a lecture. The poor guy probably thought that he would be reprimanded for an accidental run-in with her.  
"Carry on Ensign," Janeway said regaining her Captain composure.  
"Aye Captain" he stated as he nodded and walked past the Captain.  
"Oh and Ensign," Janeway started, "don't make a habit out of running around corners and into senior officers."  
"Yes Ma'am." the before frightened Ensign said with a smile.  
Janeway continued to walk towards the turbolift. She was now running late for her shift. Stepping into the turbolift she automatically said, "Bridge".   
She ran through her schedule in her mind as the turbolift moved towards the bridge. Her thoughts were interrupted as the turbolift shook violently and she was shoved against the wall. The turbolift came to a halt. Janeway tapped her combadge, "Janeway to bridge, what's happening" The red alert klaxons sounded before she could get an answer. She tried her combadge again with no response. "Computer, resume turbolift." Janeway stated as she went through the different possibilities of what could be happening.  
The doors to the turbolift swished open and Kathryn wasted no time in stepping onto the bridge. "Status?" she asked in her captain tone.  
Chakotay stood up and delivered a report on the current events occurring, "We are being fired upon by two unknown ships. The internal communications system is down and shields are at 81 percent."  
"Why wasn't I notified when they showed up on sensors?" Janeway asked looking at Chakotay. She walked towards him and sat down in her chair.  
"The ships weren't picked up by our sensors, Captain" stated Harry Kim who was frantically tapping at his console, "Apparently they have some type of cloaking device that was able to evade our sensors."  
"Why are they attacking us?", Janeway asked as she stood up and moved to the middle of the room, "Did we provoke them in any way?"  
"Negative Captain," came the logical voice of Tuvok who was standing behind his console, "They decloaked and started firing."  
"Mr. Kim, Hail them" Janeway commanded. She wanted to know why these ships were firing upon Voyager.  
"They are responding Captain." Harry told as he tapped in a few commands into his console.  
"On screen" the captain demanded as she moved forward with Chakotay following close behind, "I am Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager, why are you firing on us?"   
A man very similar in appearance to a human appeared on the view screen. "I am Captain Marks of the Marivian warship Gamma One. Your reputation in this quadrant labels you as a threat according to the Marivian government. You will be destroyed."  
"We have no hostile intentions, Captain," Janeway started, "Our reputation is false." Janeway's explanation was interrupted as the image on the viewscreen disappeared.  
"They cut the transmission." Harry announced as an annoyed Janeway turned to Chakotay. "I am getting really tired of the fire now talk later type of people." Janeway said as she sat down in her chair, and Chakotay followed suit, "Tuvok, take out their weapon systems."   
"Aye, Captain, firing phasors." Tuvok stated with his no emotion Vulcan face still in tact. He punched in some commands at his console as Harry spoke up, "Weapons on the lead ship are down, they are hailing Captain."  
"Put it through Mr. Kim." This time Kathryn stayed seated in her chair as Captain Marks came on-screen.  
"Captain Janeway, you may think that you have the upperhand now, but I assure you that you are incorrect." Marks was apparently not one who talked things out rationally, "Your ship will be no match for the Marivian fleet, surrender now and your crew will be spared. As for your ship, well I will just thank you now for the technology on board."  
"I guess we'll just have to take our chances against your fleet." Janeway said standing up and moving a few steps forward, "I will sooner destroy this ship than I would hand it over to you." With an acknowledging nod from Chakotay, Captain Janeway gave Tuvok a command to fire at will at the remaining ship.  
"Captain," Tuvok began, "There is minor damage to their shields, their weapons and navigational systems have not been damaged."  
The ship shook hard a from the Marivian fire, and Janeway decided to step things up a notch, "Mr. Tuvok, hit them with the torpedoes, full spread." Just as Tuvok fired, Chakotay spoke up from the console that he was staring at next to the command chair, "Captain, another Marivian ship has just decloaked."  
"Shields down to 43 percent." yelled Harry, "The new ship is firing."  
The ship rocked back and forth and consoles started to explode. Smoke and sparks were appearing all around the bridge. "Damage report." demanded Chakotay.  
"Hull breach forming on deck 11, weapons systems down, long range communications down, shields at 18 percent, reports of injuries coming in from all areas of the ship."  
"Harry seal the breach," Janeway started, "and Tuvok..."  
"Captain, you might want to take a look at this." Chakotay interrupted as he stood up and moved to Harry's console, "The two ships are on a collision course with each other."  
"What? Why are they going to collide?" Janeway asked rhetorically. She headed towards Harry's console where Chakotay now stood, "On-screen." The image of the two ships appeared on screen. "Tom, " Janeway started, "back us away to a safe range, I don't want Voyager to be damaged anymore than it already is when those two ships explode."  
The whole bridge crew watched as the two ships got closer and closer to each other, but they were all surprised when the ships didn't explode. The two ships in front of them seemed to be merging into one.  
The only thought going through everyone's minds as they were witnessing this event before them was,"What the hell?"   
  



	3. Mega-Ship

Title: Stepping Through The Darkness part 3/?  
Author: Danielle (babyflirt5785@hotmail.com)  
Rating: PG for minor language  
Feedback: Please I need it and I would really appreciate it...  
Archive: Go ahead just tell me where  
Thanks: To my beta readers Naaz, MenaryJ, rustic_furniture, and piper_maru.   
Disclaimer: See previous parts.  
Summary: Two people board, and two people mysteriously disappear from Voyager.   
  
"Mr. Paris." commanded Janeway, "Get us out of here. I don't want to find out what the combined power of those two ships can do to us just yet." Janeway was confused and astounded. She could not believe this. She had never seen anything like this before, and she wasn't about to fight this new ship without knowing anything about it and it's capabilities.  
"Aye, Captain." came Tom's voice. "Warp drive is off-line Captain, proceeding at full impulse."  
"Damage report." The captain had snapped on her best Captain's-mask to hide her confusion as she addressed her bridge crew.  
"Injuries reported on decks three through eleven," a shaken Harry Kim started, "warp drive is off-line, hull breaches on decks five and seven, external communications down, but the internal are coming back online, repair crews have been dispatched to decks two, five, and six to fix some fused gel packs."  
Chakotay took over as the captain stared at the view-screen watching the mega ship slowly start to fade. "Harry, seal the breaches." he said as he stood up. He tapped his com badge, "Bridge to engineering."  
B'Elanna's voice came through along with the sound of people hurriedly making repairs, "B'Elanna here, but I'm kind of busy."  
"How long until the warp drive is back on-line?" Chakotay moved forward to stand next to and perplexed Captain Janeway.  
"If I had to take a guess," she said in a slightly louder voice than usual so she could be heard over all of the commotion, "I'd say by 0600 tomorrow if everyone pulls longer shifts."  
Chakotay couldn't believe that those two ships could do this much damage. He didn't even want to imagine what the bigger one could do, and without warp Voyager would most likely have no chance. "See if you can't get it back sooner. I don't want to take any chances right now. Chakotay out."  
Kathryn looked at Chakotay and let out a deep breath as he put his hand on her shoulder. "What is that thing?" she asked.  
The image on the screen wasn't fading anymore. Instead it was growing larger. Janeway snapped back into command mode, "Tuvok, what's going on?"  
"It appears," he stated, "that the ship is pursuing."  
"Tom evasive maneuvers." Janeway ordered.   
Tom answered, "Yes ma'am, engaging evasive pattern beta-three."  
She moved back to her command seat and Chakotay followed to his. She stared as the ship started to fade again, but then was surprised when Paris spoke up, "They are speeding up and matching our course. Initiating evasive pattern gamma-five." Tom tapped frantically at his console, "Captain, they are matching course again and increasing speed. We can't stay ahead of them for much longer."  
"They are powering weapons." stated Tuvok.  
Before the captain could respond the ship shook violently sending some of the bridge crew that were standing to the floor. "Return fire!" commanded a now very angry Kathryn. These people had no purpose to be attacking them, and she sure wasn't going to let them get away with that last hit.  
"Firing photon torpedo," Tuvok stated as he tapped a few controls and the bridge crew turned to watch the impact, "no damage to the other ship."  
"Fire all phasers." Janeway shouted. They watched as the ship was hit by the phasers.  
"The phasers have penetrated their shields," Tuvok stated almost with a hint of confusion in his voice. "Captain," he announced, "they are retreating."  
"Tom," Janeway said, "keep us going in the opposite direction as they are, full impulse."  
"Aye, Captain" came from Tom who was now plotting a course away from the ship.  
Janeway turned to Chakotay, "Commander, my ready room."  
He nodded and rose to follow her off of the bridge. They stepped into her ready room and Janeway immediately began asking, "What the hell happened? How did those two ships merge into one?" She moved over to the view port and started pacing back and forth.  
Chakotay leaned against her desk and answered, "I have no idea how that happened. What are we going to do now?  
"I don't know." said Janeway who was starting to sound a little frustrated, "One things for sure though, we need to find out as much as we can about that ship before we can even think about going anywhere. It's just our luck that the ship would happen to form in the direction that we need to go."  
Before Chakotay could respond the computer started sounding an alarm, *Intruder alert, Intruder alert* Janeway headed back onto the bridge followed by Chakotay, "Mr. Tuvok, what's going on?"  
Tuvok answered, "There has been an unauthorized entry in the shuttle-bay. There are two humanoid intruders. I have sent security to apprehend them."  
Chakotay moved over to his chair and started tapping at the console in between the command team's chairs. He spoke out loud to everyone, "I want to know why we didn't detect this ship."  
He didn't get to listen for an answer as he felt the familiar tingling of a transporter beam. The bridge crew was stunned as they looked up and their command team was nowhere to be seen.  
*******************  
To be continued...  
  



	4. Questions

Title: Stepping Through The Darkness part 4/?  
Author: Danielle (babyflirt5785@hotmail.com)  
Rating: PG for minor language   
Feedback: Please I need it and I would really appreciate it...  
Archive: Go ahead just tell me where  
Thanks: To my beta readers Naaz, Jo, and Pamela.   
Disclaimer: Sorry, but I'm not making any money off of this.  
Summary: Tuvok questions the intruders, and the Captain and Chakotay don't know where they are.   
*************************  
"Tuvok," began a very confused Ensign Kim, "I've scanned the area as far as sensors will go, but I can't find them. According to these readings, the Captain and Commander have just disappeared."  
  
Tuvok was not satisfied with the information that Harry had just given him. They couldn't have just disappeared. He knew now that he must take command of Voyager until they found the command team. He hoped that they would do just that, and do it soon.  
"Keep scanning Mr. Kim."  
  
Tom turned from his console and addressed Tuvok. "Do you think that the Marivians took them?"  
  
"Mr. Paris, we need to gather more information about the Marivians before we assume that they are the ones who have taken Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay. I suggest that we find out what we can and then, draw some conclusions. Set a course for the nearest inhabited planet, preferably one which does not belong to the Marivians," responded Tuvok. He did not like the idea of not doing anything to find his disappearing friends, but he did not want to put the crew in danger by confronting the Marivians without any information about them.  
  
"Security to Lieutenant Commander Tuvok," came the voice of one of the Ensigns that Tuvok had assigned to the security detail that he had sent to apprehend the intruders.  
  
"Tuvok here Ensign, go ahead." Tuvok was in the need of some good news. He did not want to hear that the two intruders were on a rampage somewhere on the ship. He wanted to hear that they had been taken into custody and were waiting in the brig to be interrogated. He almost showed signs of relief when he was informed by the Ensign that the two intruders had been caught, and were in fact awaiting his arrival in the brig.  
  
Tuvok turned command of the bridge over to Paris and left for the brig. He had a feeling that the two prisoners, whom he assumed to be Marivians, would not be too willing to give up information, but somehow, he knew that he would find out something important.  
***********************  
Chakotay awoke to find himself in a darkened room about three meters long and about the same wide, there was no door, and from what he could tell there was only a small barred window about five feet up the wall adjacent to him. He looked around trying to gather his thoughts and saw Kathryn laying on the floor next to the wall directly across from him.   
  
"Kathryn," he said as he crawled across the floor to her side. He noticed that his body was quite stiff as he moved towards her. "Wake-up." He shook her arm gently. Kathryn didn't respond, she just lay there silent and still. Chakotay checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one so he tried to wake her again, "Kathryn," he said, gently running his fingers along her cheek, "Damn it Kathryn, wake-up."  
  
She stirred slightly and then slowly her eyes opened. Chakotay breathed a sigh of relief as Kathryn spoke, "Chakotay? What the hell happened?" she started to sit up and soon discovered her muscles to be sore, so she just propped herself on her elbow waiting for Chakotay to reply.  
  
"I don't know where we are. The last thing I remember was being on the bridge with you." Chakotay did not like his answer any more than Kathryn did, but he continued anyway, "I woke up and I was here. I saw you and came over here to wake you. Then you know the rest." He wanted some answers, but unfortunately he had none. "I don't suppose you remember anything do you?"  
  
His question was met with an apologizing look from Kathryn and the simple statement that she knew no more than he did. "Well," she started, "I guess we are just going to have to wait and see who will come and visit us, and whether or not we can get some answers."  
  
*************************************  
  
Back on Voyager, Tuvok was not getting very far with the two Marivians. They were a very condescending race from what he could tell, and they were very unwilling to divulge any information. "Why did you attack us?" Tuvok asked for the third time as he stood outside the force field, behind which the two prisoners stood.   
  
They resembled the human race very much, aside from the ears which were flat against their heads. One was a very tall man with dark blue eyes and brown hair who appeared to be quite a few years older than the other man who was a little smaller with light gray eyes and black hair. The dark-eyed man took a step towards the force field and stated almost nonchalantly, "I have already answered this question. Like I said before, you are considered a threat and will be destroyed. Is it really that hard to understand?"  
  
"It was highly illogical for your people to engage us without knowing who we are. So no, I do not understand." Tuvok was not pleased by the manner in which this man was acting. He took a step forward towards the cell and continued with the interrogation. "What are your names?" he asked. This information wasn't really needed, but he felt that it would be helpful in addressing the prisoners.  
  
The smaller of the two stepped forward, "I am Sintya and he is Kiran." Kiran did not seem too happy that Sintya had answered Tuvok's question. He shot his companion a look that could give the Captain's death glare quite a "run for the money" in Tom's terms. Then he spoke, "Quiet, Lieutenant, you are not authorized to answer questions. You will refrain from doing it again."  
  
"Yes, Commander." the younger replied. He moved over to sit as Tuvok asked the "commander" more questions.  
"Commander, why does your government perceive Voyager as a threat?" Tuvok was standing directly in front of the Marivian and maintained eye contact with as he addressed him.  
  
Commander Kiran held back a laugh as he answered Tuvok's question, "Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, as you were told when your Captain was in contact with my people, your reputation in this quadrant precedes you."  
  
"And just what might this so called reputation be?" Tuvok was not getting anywhere with this man. He just said the same things over and over again.  
  
*******************************  
  
Chakotay and Kathryn were getting restless as they waited for hours in silence for someone to enter the room in which they were held and give them some answers. Kathryn broke the silence with a sigh of frustration followed by asking herself a question out loud, "Why are we here?"  
  
Chakotay realized that this question was not directed at him, but rather at no one and he walked over to a pacing Kathryn. "Kathryn," he said trying to comfort her by putting his hands on her shoulders, which forced her to stop pacing the room and look at him. "We will find out soon, don't worry."  
  
Kathryn looked down and put a hand over his, "I don't like being in the dark about things Chakotay, I need answers. I just feel so helpless right now, I mean we are here in this damn room, and the crew. What about the crew? Do you think that they are still on Voyager? If not, then...."   
She was silenced by Chakotay's hand lifting her chin so that he could look her in the eyes.  
She stared into his eyes and felt as if he were seeing into her soul. She felt like he could sense her discontent in this situation with only a look. Chakotay moved his hand to her cheek and spoke softly to her, "Don't worry, the crew will be fine and so will we."  
  
Any response from Kathryn was halted as the ground beneath the command team started to shake ever so slightly with a low noise which grew stronger and louder with each passing second. The command team struggled to keep their balance, but eventually failed as they fell to the ground, Kathryn on top of Chakotay. They stared into each other's eyes for a lingering moment before Kathryn rolled herself off of her first officer and onto the floor next to him. Even though they were close, Chakotay could barely make out the sound of Kathryn's voice over the noise as she yelled, "What's going on?"  
  
**********************  
To Be Continued...  
  
  



End file.
